^/*- 




INCREASE MATHER. 



INCREASE MATHER, 



THE AGENT OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONY 

IN ENGLAND FOR THE CONCESSION 

OF A CHARTER. 



By WILLIAM HENRY WHITMORE, A. M. 



Eepi|inte4 fv^m the " .A'ndros ^ijacts/' published by the 
Ifijince Society of Boston, !^'. B. 



Boston. 

PRINTED BY T. R. MARVIN & SON. 
1869. 



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INCREASE MATHER, 

THE AGENT OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONY 

IN ENGLAND FOR THE CONCESSION 
OF A CHARTER. 




N the firft volume of thefe Trads, the central 
figure was that of Andros, the able and refolute 
reprefentative of that policy which fought to 
combine the independent Colonies in one Domi- 
nion of New England. The fcene of the confli6t was cis- 
Atlantic, and the vi6lory was gained by an uprifmg of the 
people in which no individual laid claim to the leaderfliip. 

In our fccond volume we have colle6ted the evidences of 
the farther ftrife which was waged on Englifli foil by thofe 
who flrovc fuccefsfuUy to rcftore to the agglomerated Colonies 
their former individuality, and in a large meafure their former 
freedom. Here again, one leader, Increafe Mather, ftands 
out pre-eminent as the champion of his caufe, fighting 
earneftly and almoft unaided againfl the numerous and 
obfcure enemies of Charter government. Yet important as 

this 



6 Increafe Mather, 

this epifode in his life appears, it is but a portion of the 
fervices which he rendered to his native country, and it 
would therefore be an ad; of injuflice to affix his name to 
this colledion. 

We do not intend to trace the early life of Increafe 
Mather, interefting as the tafk would prove, fince the fervices 
which he performed as a political agent were fo widely diffev- 
ered from the duties which he fulfilled as a clergyman. It 
will be fufficient to fay of him, that in 1687 he might be 
regarded as the leader of the clergy of Maffachufetts. The 
fon of a prominent minifler, well educated, a powerful 
preacher, he was chofen in 1664, at the age of twenty-five 
years, paflor of the "Second Church in Bofton. He not only 
attended to his clerical duties with fidelity, but he was grad- 
ually forced to accept the burden of other public offices. In 
1680, he was Moderator of the Reforming Synod convened 
to decide upon a Confeffion of Faith. In 1685, he was 
appointed a6ling Prefident of Harvard Univerfity, and was 
thus placed at the head of the educational fyftem of the 
Colony. He had even ventured to take an active part in 
politics, by advifing the inhabitants of Bofton at a town- 
meeting, after the writ of Quo Warranto againft the Charter 
had been iffued, to ftand by their privileges and not to give 
away what was the inheritance of their fathers. 

When therefore the inhabitants of Maffachufetts, impelled 
by a profound difcontent with the centralizing government 
of Andros, fought a bold, honeft and able reprefentative to 
make an effort for the reftoration of their beloved Charter, 

Increafe 



The Agent of Maffachttfetts, 7 

Increafe Mather was confeffedly the perfon, almoft the fole 
one, for this high and important office. The pubhc defire 
was accordingly manifefted to him, but not until he had 
confulted the brethren of his church and obtained their 
approval, did he confent to accept the charge. 

Early in April, 1688, Mather failed for England, unpro- 
vided with the formal credentials hitherto conferred by the 
General Court on its Agents, but ftill confeffedly the repre- 
fentative of the hopes and wants of the greater portion of 
the citizens of Maffachufetts. He bore with him the Ad- 
dreffes of the churches, expreffnig their thanks for the 
Declaration of Indulgence recently granted by James II. 
A more important part of his miffion was to lay at the foot 
of the throne the complaints of the Colonifts againft the 
adminiflration of Andros. His departure was hurried and 
Healthy, fmce the perfonal enmity of Randolph had led him 
to annoy Mather by an unwarranted fuit. The Government 
had full information of the intentions of the envoy, but 
Andros was apparently too fecure in his pofition to interpofe 
any reftri(5lions. 

On the 25th of May, 1688, Mather arrived at London, 
where the ftate of public affairs feemed anything but propi- 
tious. The clofmg ftruggle between the King and his 
people had already commenced. A week before the arrival 
of Mather, the feven Bifliops had figned the petition requeft- 
ing the King to difpenfe with the diftribution and reading 
of that Declaration of Indulgence, for which fuch loyal 
thanks had been forwarded from New England. The pofi- 
tion 



8 Increafe Mather, 

tion of the Agent was thus full of difficulties. On the one 
hand, the King was ftill the controller of the fortunes of the 
Colony, and had perhaps earned its gratitude. On the other, 
it was patent to Mather that this royal favor had been fliown 
againft the wiflies of the Englifli people, was pronounced to 
be unconflitutional, and its acceptance might provoke a 
fliarp retribution at the next turn of affairs. His natural 
advifers, the Englifli Diffenters, were difquieted and divided 
upon the fubje6l. Macaulay, in the feventh chapter of his 
hiflory, has fully defcribed the fituation of thefe fteadfafl 
congregations, fo recently the obje6l of fcorn and cruel 
perfecution, now fuddenly elevated to the rank of arbiter 
between the contending fa(ftions, and affiduoully courted by 
both. 

For a time a portion of the leading Diffenters were in 
favor of accepting the Royal favor, and to this opinion 
Mather at firft inclined, influenced perhaps by his friends 
Penn and Alfop. On the 30th of May, 1688, he waited on 
the King with the Addrefs of the Congregations of New 
England and a flmilar document from the inhabitants of 
Plymouth Colony. James received thefe loyal effufions 
gracioufly, and promifed the petitioners " a Magna Charta 
for Liberty of Confcience." Two days later Mather was 
again admitted into the King's clofet, and then, in reply to 
a queftion, ventured to fpeak of Andros as an opponent of 
the Declaration. Being inftrufted by James to commit to 
writing the matters wherein the Colony defired relief, he 
promptly prepared a petition which he prefented on the 2nd 
of July. 

The 



The Agent of MaJjfaeJmfetts, 9 

The month of June had been full of important events. On 
the tenth, the ill-fated Prince of Wales was born, and the laft 
days of the month had witneffed the triumphant acquittal of 
the feven Bifliops. Amid all thefe preffmg affairs, the King 
feems to have received the petition courteouHy, and repeated 
the promife of his continued favor to New England. Then 
occurred a ftrange converfation. To the King, who had 
but a few months before forced the Univerfities of Cam- 
bridge and Oxford to yield a portion of their wealth and 
honors to Roman Catholics, Mather now preferred a requefl; 
for a Charter for Harvard College. It was, he faid, hard 
that the College built by Non-Conformifts fliould be taken 
from them and put into the hands of Conformifts. The 
King gravely replied, "It is unreafonable and it fliall not be." 

Up to this time Mather had made no attempts to obtain 
a renewal of the Charter of the Colony. He defired to 
check the progrefs of Epifcopacy in Maffachufetts, to obtain 
a favorable decifion in regard to the titles of lands here, to 
which the Crown made great though vague pretenfions, and 
he may have hoped to procure the recall of Andros. Thefe 
projects were not unreafonable, and the policy of James was 
for the prefent favorable to them. The King indeed was 
apparently difpofed to treat the Colonics as his own efpecial 
tenants. His pofition as Proprietor of the Colony of New 
York before his acceffion to the throne, had rendered him 
familiar with American affairs. The opinion was now 
expreffed by the Courtiers that all New England was in like 
manner held by the Crown, independent of the Kingdom, 
and was fubje6t to fuch laws, ordinances, and forms of gov- 
ernment 



lo Increafe Mather, 

ernment, as the Crown fliould think fit to eflabHfli. Hence 
the King might well be pleafed to waive one form of fove- 
reignty over a people over whom he claimed a fupreme 
authority. He could even afford to encourage one body of 
heretics to the confufion of another, if he entertained the 
expectation of eventually fetting up the Roman Catholic 
relisfion in all the Colonies. 

o 

For three months Mather forbore to feek another inter- 
view, though he negle6led no opportunity to make friends 
among thofe who enjoyed the Royal favor. His chief coun- 
fellor and affociate was Sir Henry Afliurft, a wealthy baronet 
and member of Parliament, whofe family had always been 
friendly to New England. As a fellow Diffenter he was 
attached to Mather, and was unwearied in his efforts to ferve 
the Colony. Thus introduced at the outfet, Mather foon 
proved his fitnefs to condu6l negotiations in the unaccuf- 
tomed atmofphere of a court In a fliort time, William 
Penn, Lord Sunderland, the Earl of Melfort, and the terrible 
Jeffries, were numbered among his patrons. Even Father 
Petre was faid to be willing to fpeak a good word for New 
England. 

With the gain of fuch fupporters, the Agent feems to 
have become more ambitious in his views. He hoped now 
to regain the old Charter of Maffachufetts legally forfeited 
fome years before. This portion of his hiffory is paffed over 
rapidly in his fon's narrative, but fome fa6ts are known. In 
Auguft, Mather, a6ling with Samuel Nowell and Eliflia 
Hutchinfon, had petitioned the Lords of the Committee, 

afkins: 



The Agent of Maffachufetts. 



1 1 



afking for a confirmation of titles and the liberty of an 
Affembly, but Sunderland had plainly refufed the latter 
claufe. On the 26th of September, Mather had an interview 
with the King, and again had received ample promifes. 

To this period, and to the pen of Mather, may be fairly 
attributed the pamphlet entitled ' New England Vindicated 
from the Afperfions of thofe who faid that the Charter was 
taken away becaufe the Colonifts deflroyed the manufactures 
and commerce of England.' 

The King had at laft been aroufed to the dangers which 
threatened him from the plans of the Prince of Orange and 
his adherents. He attempted to conciliate his fubjects by 
conceffions which mio;ht have been effecflual earlier. Several 
important fteps were taken in the month of 06lober, notably 
the reftoration of their franchifes to the municipal corpora- 
tions. On the 1 6th of the month, the Agents for New 
England had another interview with the King, and were 
regaled with more promifes. For a time it feemed as if 
thefe promifes would be kept, but on a falfe report of the 
downfall of the Prince's expedition, the affair was flopped, 
and Mather then felt the falfenefs of his hopes. Perhaps 
believing that the bad news from Holland was true, the 
Agents preferred a final requeft to the Committee, aflcing 
only to have the Council in New England remodeled and 
made more efficient. Thus low had the hopes and expcda- 
tions of the New England party fallen. 

The reaclion, however, was fated to be a fpeedy one. 

The 



12 Increafe Mather, 

The revolutionary movement in England was not to be 
flayed by the tardy peace-offerings of the vacillating Kin^, 
and on the 5th of November, 1688, William landed at 
Torbay, thenceforward to remain as the chofen ruler of the 
realm. The fucceeding fteps of the revolution are well- 
known ; we will cite but two dates. On the 23rd of Decem- 
ber, 1688, James fled from London, and on the 13th of 
February, 1688-9, William and Mary were proclaimed King 
and Oueen of EnHand. 

Although Mather was not a6lively concerned in the con- 
fpiracy againft James, he could not have been ignorant of 
what was intended. It mud be remembered that he was 
not a ftranger in England. After taking his degree as 
Mafter of Arts in 1658, at Trinity College, Dublin, he had 
preached for two years in various parts of England, and had 
been chaplain to the garrifon at Guernfey. At that time he 
had made many friends, and fmce his return he had culti- 
vated intimate relations with the Englifli Diffenters. His 
brother Nathaniel, after the Reftoration, was for fome time a 
preacher at Amfterdam. Mather had long been in corref- 
pondence with the prominent Diffenters there, efpecially 
with Abraham Kick, the friend of Shaftefbury, at whofe 
houfe that nobleman died. It is inconceivable, therefore, 
that the Agent of Maffachufetts remained in ignoramce of 
the ex2De6lations and plans of the patriots. 

Still, although the leaders of the Englifli Diffenters could 
promife a valuable addition to the forces of the Prince of 
Orange, Mather himfelf could not contribute a Angle foldier 

to 



The Agent of Majfaclmfetts. 1 3 

to the caufe. He could only fay that the congregations of 
New England prayed for the fuccefs of the Proteftant 
religion, and would joyfully acknowledge William as their 
rightful King. 

On the 1 8th of December, William arrived at St. James's, 
and on the 21ft, the clergy of London, headed by Comp- 
ton, their Bifliop, prefented an Addrefs of congratulation. 
Among them were mingled fome of the Diffenting minifters, 
to whofe prefence Compton gracefully referred. On the 2nd 
of January, 1688-9, the Diffenting minifters to the number 
of ninety or more prefented their Addrefs. Although we 
do not find it ftated that Mather was prefent on either occa- 
fion, the fa(5l that he reprinted thefe two Addreffes in his 
pamphlet entitled " The Miferies of New England," warrants 
us in fuppofmg that he accompanied his brethren. 

On the 9th of January, 1688-9, Mather was favored with 
an interview with William, being introduced by Philip, Lord 
Wharton, "renowned as a diftributor of Calviniftic tra6ls and 
a patron of Calviniftic divines," and father of the notorious 
Thomas, Earl and Marquis of Wharton. Wharton fpoke 
earneftly in favor of the petition then prefented, faying that 
the New Englanders afked not for money or men, but for 
their ancient privileges. The Prince replied that he intended 
to take the bed care he could about it, and would fo inftru61; 
his Secretary, Mr. Jephfon. Lord Wharton then carried 
Mather to the Secretary and faid to him, " Coufm, obferve 
this gentleman, and when ever he comes to you, receive him 
as if I came myfeif." 

Soon 
3 



14 Increafe Mather, 

Soon after, the Agent received the affiftancc of another 
powerful friend. On February ifl;, 1688-9, Abraham Kick 
wrote from the Hague to the Princefs Mary in behalf of the 
New England Colonifts, begging her " to take the firft oppor- 
tunity to help them to the reftoration of their ancient Patent, 
privileges and liberties." 

At this time Mather muft have made public his account 
of the " Miferies of New England by reafon of an Arbitrary 
Government erecled there under Sir Edmund Andros," fmce 
a copy reached Boflon in feafon to be printed before the 
end of the current year, which clofed on the 24th of March, 
1689, according to our modern reckoning. Nor did his 
exertions ceafe here ; being informed by Mr. Jephfon that a 
Circular Letter was to be fent to all the Plantations, confirm- 
ing the exifting governments until farther orders, Mather 
prevailed on the Secretary to prefent a remonftrance to the 
King, and fucceeded in flopping the letters for New Eng- 
land. The date of the letters thus intercepted was January 
1 2 th, 1688-9. 

This prompt adiion was of the higheft importance to the 
Colonifts. New England was thus feparated from the other 
Colonies, and fromi that time the queflion of its Charters was 
an affair to be confidered apart. But for Mather's dexterous 
intervention Andros would have been confirmed, and as he 
proved afterward acceptable to the Englifli Court, he would 
probably have remained to complete the confolidation of the 
Dominion of New England. It was indeed a turning-point 
in our national hiftory. 

Thouo^h 



The Agejtt of Majfaclmfetts. 15 

Though now fuccefsful, the moft delicate duties devolved 
upon Mather. William " had been bred a Prefbyterian, and 
was from rational convidlion a Latitudinarian," and there 
was therefore no reafon to fear that during his reign Popery 
or Prelacy would be forced upon the Congregationalifts of 
New England. But religious liberty was not the only defire 
of the great body of the Colonifts ; the refloration of that 
Charter, which as interpreted by them, granted virtually 
political independence, was their deareft wifli : and that 
Charter was an offence in the eyes oi all parties in England. 
William, as King of England, was not ready to make con- 
ceffions that had been condemned and cancelled by his 
predeceffors. An early effort was made by Mather, at an 
intendew granted him on March 14th, 1688-9, to fecure the 
Royal favor, but the King fignificantly replied to his repre- 
fentations, " I believe they are a good people, but 1 doubt 
there have been irregularities in their government." 

For the prefent, the King promifed to recall Andros at 
once to anfwer for any mal-adminiflration. Various plans 
were fuggefled for the provifional government of New 
England, and on the 26th of February, 1688-9, the King 
propofed to fend tw^o Commiffioners to take the place of 
Andros until a new Charter fliould be prepared. In the 
meantime, before the tidings of his Majefty's intentions 
could reach them, the Colonifts had taken the decifion into 
their own hands. On the i8th of April, 1689, the inhabi- 
tants of Bofton rofe againft Andros and his coadjutors, and 
eftabliflied a provifional government of their own. A Coun- 
cil of Safety was formed, two Conventions were held, and 

on 



1 6 Increafe Mather, 

on the 24th of May, Bradftreet and the magiflrates chofen 
in 1686 reaffumed the charge of affairs until there fliould be 
other inflrudlions fent from England. 

The news of this revolution in New England reached 
London towards the end of June, and on the 4th of July, 
1689, Mather had another interview with the King. William 
then expreffed his approbation of the a61ion of the Colonifts, 
and on the 12th of Auguft a Royal letter was addreffed to 
Maffachufetts, ratifying the affumption of government there 
for the time being. 

Mather, while thus folicitous of obtaining the confent of 
the Crown, was not regardlefs of the great power of Parlia- 
ment to affift in reftoring the Charter. The Convention 
Parliament, which had called William and Mary to the 
throne, was ftill in feffion, and was ffrenuous in reforming 
abufes. By advice of his friends, Mather procured a vote of 
the Houfe of Commons, " that the taking away of the New 
England Charters was a grievance, and that they fliould be 
reftored." A fe(5lion to this effe6l was inferted in the Corpo- 
ration Bill. This fiep was gained before Parliament took a 
recefs on the 20th of Auguft, 1689. 

Befides thefe appeals to the authorities, Mather evidently 
fought to enlifl the fympathies of the public on his fide. 
We have mentioned two of his publications during the 
previous nine months. His third effay feems to have been 
" The Prefent State of New England," &c., licenfed July 
30th, 1689, in which he gave an account of what had been 

done 



The Agent of Maffachii/etts. 1 7 

done towards eftabli filing a profperous colony under the old 
Charter. 

Soon after this, probably after the reaffembling of Parlia- 
ment on the 19th of Ocftober, a " Reply to the Vindication " 
was publiflied, which fet forth the impropriety of including 
the New England Charters in the Corporation Bill. This 
controverfy and the hopes of the Agents were terminated 
by the fate of the main bill. After a fevere contefl between 
the Whigs and Tories, the mod important claufes of the bill 
were ftricken out, and Parliament was prorogued on the 27th 
of January, 1689-90. Its formal diffolution took place a few 
days later. 

Thus paffed away the year 1689, without any farther 
change in the affairs of New England. To William, how- 
ever, the year had been crowded with important events. On 
the 12th of March, James landed in Ireland, and maintained 
his fway over a large portion of that ifland throughout the 
year. On the 7th of May, war with France was proclaimed. 
The Highland clans threatened for a moment to rcftore 
Scotland to the Stuarts, but that chance had expired with 
the death of Dundee at the battle of Killiecrankie on the 
27th of July. In England the diffenfions of the rival par- 
ties had required the utmofl {kill of William to prevent the 
Revolution from ending in anarchy or a refloration. 

Towards the end of this year alfo, the opponents of the 
Charter began to make themfelves heard. Byfield and 
another writer had publiflied in England the Colonifls' 

verfion 



1 8 Increafe Mather, 

verfion of the overthrow of Andros. The opinions of the 
inhabitants were not however unanimoufly in favor of the 
change. The EpifcopaHans of Bofton fent to England a 
ftrong: remonftrance, and fmiilar documents were forwarded 
from the citizens in Charleftown and the fettlers in Maine. 
Many of the magiftrates appointed or retained by Andros 
were forry at his overthrow, and Gerfliom Bulkeley pubHflied 
a pamphlet to fliow that the new government was illegal. 
Palmer, one of the ableft of Andros's adherents, prepared in 
prifon a defence of the late government, which found a 
printer in the diflant Colony of Pennfylvania, and was doubt- 
lefs freely circulated even in Bofton. 

We may imagine, that by the beginning of the year 1690, 
all of thefe documents had reached London, and early in 
the year, Andros, Dudley, and feveral others of their party 
were fent thither by command of the King. Mather and 
Alliurft, now recognized as Agents by the reftored govern- 
ment of New England, received as colleagues Eliflia Cooke 
and Thomas Oakes. Very little progrefs however was made 
in the year 1690 towards fulfilling the wiflies of the Colonifts. 
The King was bufy with more important matters. His new 
Parliament met in March ; in June he landed in Ireland, 
then in open hoftility to him. On the ift of July he gained 
the battle of the Boyne, and five days later he entered 
Dublin, virtually the vi6lor in the laft ftruggle to be made 
for James II. Early in September William returned to 
England, and until the clofe of the year was chiefly occupied 
in arranging affairs fo that he could leave England for the 
camp of his allies abroad. 

Mather 



The Ag^nt of MaJfacJmfetts. 1 9 

Mather fays that during this year he made "fome effays to 
fee if by a writ of error in judgment the cafe of the Maffa- 
chufetts Colony might be brought out of Chancery into the 
King's Bench ; " but this was " defeated by a furprizing 
Providence." By this phrafe we are probably not to under- 
hand that any fpecial accident overthrew the plan of the 
Agents, but rather as^we fliould now fay, " that it was provi- 
dentially defeated." There can be little doubt that Mather 
referred rather to fuch a divifion in the councils of the 
Agents themfelves as led to an abandonment of the fcheme 
of a reverfal of the judgment. Eliflia Cooke was for the 
old Charter or none at all, and Oakes joined with him. 
Mather and Afliurft were in favor of makinor the befl terms 
poffible. The difputes between thefe four had gone fo far 
that Cooke and Oakes would not fign the articles preferred 
againft Andros before the Privy Council, April 17th, 1690, 
and the profecution fell through on that ground. Hard 
words were exchanged, Mather faying that the Earl of Mon- 
mouth told him " that they had cut the throat of their 
country in not figning," and Cooke alleging the advice of 
Sir John Somers in defenfe of his condu6l. A falfe rumor 
was circulated that Cooke and Oakes faid ' that they could 
have faved the old Charter if it had not been for Mather, 
and that he had betrayed his country.' Evidently the mul- 
titude of counfellors had not ftrengthened the hands of the 
Aeents. 



'C>^ 



Cooke continued an opponent to the end, and refufed to 
take any fteps towards obtaining a new Charter, but the 
others decided to truft to the kindnefs of the King. The 

Earl 



20 Increafe Mather, 

Earl of Monmouth prefented their requeft, and it was refer- 
red to the two Lord-Chief-Juftices, Holt and Pollexfen, the 
Attorney-General Treby, and the Sollicitor-General Somers, 
with whom Mather was on friendly terms. He was prefent 
at the confultations at which the new Charter was prepared, 
and the report, having been fubmitted to the King, was 
forwarded to the Committee for Trade and Plantations on 
the I ft of January, 1 690-1. 

In 1690, the able attack upon Mather entitled " New 
England's Facftion Difcovered " was publiflied. After the 
unconditional releafe of Andros in April, his friends feem to 
have been active and eloquent in oppofmg a re-grant of a 
Charter to Maffachufetts. Palmer iffued a reprint of his 
Defence, wifely expunging the Scriptural arguments which 
were fpecially adapted to a New England audience. Thefe 
two writers not only praifed the condu6l of Andros, but 
fkillfully difplayed the feeblenefs of his fucceffors in the 
government. 

In reply to them, Mather undoubtedly publiflied his 
" Vindication of New England," containing the firft Petition 
of the Epifcopalians of Bofton. Soon after, the Government 
of Maffachufetts put forth their ftatement entitled " The 
Revolution in New England Juftified and the People there 
Vindicated," and the accompanying " Narrative of the Pro- 
ceedings of Andros," by feveral of his Council. Indeed, 
the latter pamphlet, dated at Bofton, Feb. 4th, 1 690-1, refers 
efpecially to " fuch untrue Accounts as that which goes 
under the name of Capt. John Palmer's, and that fcandalous 

Pamphlet 



The Agent of Majfaclmfetts. 2 1 

Pamphlet entitled 'New England's Fadlion Difcovered,' fup- 
pofed to be written by an Implacable Enemy of all good 
men, and a perfon that for Impudence and Lying has few 
Equals in the World." By this polite defcription we learn 
that Randolph was credited with the authorfliip. 



Laftly, to the pen of fome friend of the Agents, we may 
attribute the pamphlet called " The Humble Addrefs of the 
Publicans of New England," with its infmuations that the 
fecond Petition of the Epifcopalians was intended for which- 
ever King might fucceed, and that their proteftations of 
loyalty were worthlefs. The contefl; between the two parties 
was maintained by able champions, and the King as ufual 
agreed with neither extreme. 

On the 1 8th of January, 1 690-1, King William failed for 
the Hague, where he remained until the middle of April. 
As we have feen, the matter of the new Charter was in the 
hands of the Committee for Trade and Plantations, and 
Mather was bufy in fecuring the intereft of all who might 
aid him. He publiflied a paper of '* Reafons for the Con- 
firmation of Charter Privileges ; " he gained the fupport of 
fuch non-conformift minifters as had influence with noble- 
men ; he fpecially obtained the good offices of Archbifliop 
Tillotfon and Bifliop Burnet. Finally, on the 9th of April, 
1 69 1, he was granted an interview with the Queen, in which 
her Majefty difplayed her ufual kindnefs of heart, and prom- 
ifed to ufe her influence with the King in behalf of the 

Colonv. 

In 
4 



2 2 Increafe Mather 

In April, William returned to England for a fortnight, and 
in that time Mather was favored with two interviews with 
him. At the firft, he only prefented Addreffes from the 
General Court, and from a number of London merchants. 
On the 28th of April he had a fecond audience, when he 
urged the difference between New England and the other 
Colonies. 

The work of preparing the new Charter was now fairly 
commenced, and the firft quefhion fubmitted to the King 
was whether the Colonifts fliould make their own laws and 
appoint their own officers, or there fliould be a Governor 
appointed by the Crown, who fliould have the power of 
vetoing laws. The King decided for a Royal Governor, but 
avoided a dire6l decifion of the queftion as to the veto 
power. 

On the I ft of May, 1691, William again departed for the 
Continent, and Mather foon became involved in difputes 
with the Lords of the Council as to the terms to be employed 
in the new Charter. The Council evidently intended that 
the Governor fliould have the veto power ; Mather ftrenu- 
oufly endeavored to perfuade them to adopt a plan which 
the Attorney-General Treby had drawn up at his felicitation, 
and by which the Governor had not this power in any cafe. 
The matter was referred to the King, but he was too intent 
on his campaign in Flanders to reply. Mather protefted to 
the Miniflers that he would fooner part with his life than 
confent to their plan, or to ' anything that might infringe 
any liberty or privilege that juftly belonged to his country.' 

Their 



The Agent of Maffaclmfetts. 23 

Their fignificant reply was, ' that nobody expected or defired 
his confent ; that they did not look on the Agents from New 
England as plenipotentiaries from another fovereign flate ; 
but that if they declared that they would not fubmit unto 
the King's pleafure, his Majefty would fettle the country as 
he pleafed, and they were to take what would follow.' 

The irrepreffible Agent, however, continued to proteft, 
and perfuaded his friends at Court, and even the Queen, to 
write to the King, aflcing either that his plan might be 
adopted, or that the Charter might be delayed until the 
King's return to England. Believing that he had thus 
fecured a refpite, Mather went to recruit his health " to the 
Waters," probably to the fafliionable refort at Bath ; but he 
was quickly recalled by the news that the King had on the 
loth of Auguft fignified his approval of the Council's plan, 
and had ordered the Charter to be proceeded with forthwith. 
Nothing remained but acquiefcence, and Mather now tried 
only to obtain all poffible conceffions in the details. He 
fucceeded in having the territories of Nova Scotia, Maine 
and Plymouth annexed to Maffachufetts, but failed in having 
New Hampfliire alfo included. He had the form of Oaths 
amended to fuit his views, and obtained the addition of a 
moft important claufe confirming all grants made by the 
General Court, notwithftanding any defecft that there might 
be in form of conveyance. The new Charter, thus framed 
and amended, was figned on the 7th of Oclober, 1691. 

Here ended the labors of Mather as Agent for Maffachu- 
fetts. On the 4th of November he waited on his Majefly to 

thank 



24 Ina^eafe Mather. 

thank him for the Charter, and to notify him that the Agents 
united in recommending that Sir William Phips fliould be 
appointed Governor. On the 7th of March, 169 1-2, Mather 
and the newly commiffioned Governor left London, and 
on the 29th failed from Plymouth, under convoy of the 
Nonefuch frigate, for Bofton, where, they arrived on the 14th 
of May, 1692. 

It would be foreign to our purpofe to attempt to explain 
the differences between the old Charter and the new one, or 
to account for the diffatisfadion which was caufed by the 
change. Mather received but fcanty praife for his labor 
and was even forced to defend his a6tions. It feems to us, 
however, that the information colledled in this volume will 
render it evident that the Colony was moft fortunate in its 
choice of an Agent : That he was fagacious, eloquent, 
dauntlefs and incorruptible : that he maintained his dignity 
under trying circumftances: and that without facrificing 
honefty to expediency, he proved himfelf fit to treat with 
flatefmen and to gain the favor of fovereigns. If any im- 
portance be attached to the growth of the political fyftem of 
New England, let it be remembered, that at the moft critical 
period of its hiftory, the energies of Increafe Mather gave 
it a form and fliape which it has never loft. 

w. H. w. 





INCREASE MATHER 



Library of Congress 
3^^„^u d:_j 



